News & Events

Who made my clothes.

We no longer know who makes our clothes and we don’t know the true cost of the things we buy.

We believe transparency is the first step to transform the industry. And it starts with one simple question:Who made my clothes?

We believe this simple question gets people thinking differently about what they wear. We need to know that as consumers, our questions, our voices, our shopping habits can have the power to help change things for the better.

This market lets you meet the maker first hand and purchase directly from them or meet and buy from businesses who work directly with the makers to ensue ethical standards are being met.

Once you are done you can stick around for a wine or beer and enjoy Level Ones Open Mic Night.

After winter comes spring . ​During the month of September we willRe store byElaborate, embroider colour, expand on, exaggerate, dress up, touch up, gild and catastrophize. We want to decorate, adorn, ornament, dress up, furnish, beatuify, enhance, enrich, add grace trim festoon furbelow, bedizen and bejewel. Bring in your mending and use our resources to bring your clothes back to life. Increase your sewing skills while be part of the slow fashion movement. September 2018 marks the 125thanniversary of women's suffrage in New Zealand. On 19 September 1893 the Electoral Act 1893 was passed, giving all women in New Zealand the right to vote. Our White Camellia Workshop, marking felt flowers will be a time of remembrance.

At stitch o mat we wanted to join the movement of plastic free July as a way to support people to rethink the way they use plastics and offer ‘plastic free’ solution. The easiest way to make change is what we use to transport food in. Daily lunch boxes are a great focus. Stitch-o- Mat ran simple workshops on making sandwiches bags and beeswax wraps. This spend into the local school. South New Brighton School term topic was on sustainability, they asked us to run sewing workshops with the students as part of this. We started sewing sandwich bags and making beeswax wraps with 50 students from 7-8 year group. This was then followed by the 3-4 year group sewing for 2 days during the last week of the school term.

During the holiday we were touched by kids from South Brighton School bringing their parents into Stitch o mat to make more sandwiches, some sewing sewing at home. 🌻 School hols... asked my boys what they wanted to do. Make sandwich bags was their reply. Fun and sustainable. Proud of them and their drive to use less plastics. 🌻

​We were then blown away by a message from Lynley Duffull who works at Morningside Kids care in whangarei.

“I would like to thank you for your sandwich bag tutorial. I have now made 97 of these for the kids that attend my Before and After School care programme to celebrate Plastic Free July.”

The Tuesday night workshops at Stitch-o- mat have been choker. People travelling from around Christchurch city to make produce bags, sandwich bags and experience the process of making beeswax wrap.

We also run electric sewing for the Christchurch City Council Kids Fest. Working in other artist from Te Kura Tawhito, The Old School we participated in the Mata Riki community workshops for the More FM Mata Riki lantern parade. We created Iganga ( whitebait ) inspired wands. Using conductive thread we were able to get the kids to sew a circuit board onto their felt cut-out to the shape of a whitebait. This Conductive thread leads to a LED light. This was a nice thing to share with the kids that they can make and create their own lanterns and not need to buy cheap plastic ones. It was lovely to watch the Iganga take on their own colors schemes and patterns which reflected the child who made them.

Home and family August. During August we are paying it forward while will focusing on all things home: interiors. Now is the time to make pillows, hot water -bottle covers, rag rugs, draft blockers. Even better make something for someone who is special to you or sew ones of our projects for the Christchurch City Mission or the Home and Family society. ​ Learn to sew Monday and our drop in sessions at our space at Te Kura Tawhito, The Old School. We can run though the basics of sewing zips and piping while you make a pillow or toiletry bag. Show you how to up -cycle woollen blankets to make a original hot water- bottle cover. Re-cycle old clothes into a rug rag, a great way to preserve the memories of baby clothes or maybe your favorite T shirt that has passed its used by date. We have been getting some wonderful donations to the Stitch-o-mat fabric library. All this is open for public use supported by your Koha (donation) Our machines are increasing and soon will have industrial sewing machine fleet. While doing all this you can still come and sew the classic Stitch-o-mat sandwich bags or market bag. Make a beeswax warp or a fairy tale arpon or mend your clothes.

We have started Fairytale June. It is cold outside, so a perfect time to warm your soul and sew a fairytale-inspired Apron for the Christchurch Hospital Children's Ward.

We have changed the design of the costume and styled it into aprons. This is so they are functional with kids having to be in bed and able to be worn regardless of what medical equipment that might be in place such as drips.

The aprons are a great way to get creative and have been perfect way to interact with our younger sewers, asking them what they would do and if they can help to make an apron.

When planning Fairytale June we did not realise how close to home it was to become. Bridget’s five-year-old nephew was diagnosed with a Wilms tumour in his kidney and we can see first-hand how important it is to encourage and nurture positive imagination.​People who come to New Brighton Stitch-o-mat can sew a Fairytale apron at any time of year.